Overview

The new AT2020 USB microphone offers studio-quality articulation and intelligibility. It plugs right into your computerís USB port, and functions seamlessly with your favorite recording software. Equipped with a USB digital output, the AT2020 USB is perfect for home studio recording, field recording, podcasting, and voiceover use.

Based on the renowned AT2020The AT2020 USB is based on the design of Audio-Technicaís critically acclaimed AT2020 cardioid condenser microphone. Like the AT2020, it features a low-mass diaphragm, custom-engineered for extended frequency response and superior transient response.

With low self-noise, the AT2020 USB is perfectly suited for sophisticated digital recording equipment. Audio-Technicaís state-of-the-art design and manufacturing techniques ensure that the microphone complies with the companyís renowned consistency and reliability standards.

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Reviews

AT2020 USB Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone
4.3
5
8
8

The mic is easy to use, and great features
The microphone has been great!
I purchased around a year ago, and I love it.
It worked right out of the box.
No hard installs just plug it in and it works!
Although recently the cord has started acting up, and I need a new one... :(
Other than that It works great!
June 20, 2014

Poor choice for Windows 7/Audacity
Mic is extremely fussy with Audacity on a Windows 7 laptop. Mic works with other applications on the computer, but is almost impossible to use on a Windows 7 machine with audacity. Three of us fiddled with it for hours yesterday and eventually got it to work with the software. Couldn't replicate it again today; after several frustrating hours, it still won't work with Audacity. OTOH, I downloaded Audacity onto a desktop machine with XP and it worked flawlessly.
The box says the microphone works with Windows 7, but the manual included with the microphone makes no reference to the setup and use of the microphone on a Windows 7 machine.
I am very disappointed.
April 14, 2014

Love the AT2020 USB on a Mac Computer or Windows XP !!!
This microphone WORKS extremely well with any Mac Machine and Windows XP. With following a few simple rules on recording audio the results are excellent! I had problems with the AT2020 USB on a PC with windows 7 professional (device not recognized) but when used on a MAC or a machine with Windows XP it is recognized immediately and works flawlessly.
September 6, 2013

Love it
Bought this microphone a few years ago and I love it. Only problem I'm having is that for some reason my codec splits it into two inputs, and the stereo input is considerably louder on the left channel than it is on the right. For Mono recording it's perfect. It has only done this on my Windows Vista system, all other system it works fine.
Sound is phenomenal, though the tripod it comes with is cheaply made and will break if the microphone falls.
January 27, 2012

Great mic, easy to use
I purchased a used AT2020 USB, to set up a home studio. I record vocals and voice overs, and wanted a quality mic. I am totally impressed with the recordings I've made with this mic! Not only is it easy to set up and use, but the sound quality is excellent. Highly recommended!
November 26, 2011

Polished Professional Sound
I see videos everyday on the Internet that are from big name companies that sound like they were recorded from the bottom of a barrel. This microphone gives you clear sound with a minimum of fuss. My main experience has been with voice and it picks up voice very well. Crystal clear results.
October 20, 2011

Great mic for podcasts
I use this mic for recording podcasts and voice-overs for software demonstrations. The sound is clear and accurate for the human voice and the built-in USB connection eliminates the need for and external mixer or analog-to-digital converter.
October 20, 2011

Insanely simple, Outstanding quality.
I plugged the mic into a USB port, the computer immediately recognized it. Integration into Audacity is seamless and the sound reproduction is everything you'd expect from a good condensor mic.
This is a great little mic for home studios with computer control.
October 20, 2011

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Answers

Answer:¬†

--Overall high level of performance, especially:--Very low self noise, so no hiss--High sensitivity and strong output signal--Cardioid pickup pattern; many others are hyper-cardioid pattern which has a rear-facing lobe that defeats noise rejection to the rear of the microphone. Cardioid mics reject sounds coming from the rear (which are usually noise). Omni-directional mics don't reject sound from any direction. Figure-8 mics only reject sounds from the sides, not the rear. Only true cardioid mics reject sounds from the rear--a cardinal virtue because the rear of the mic can be pointed toward a noise source (audience, noisy recorder or video camera, etc.) and will substantially reduce the noise level in the output..--High maximum SPL (sound pressure level) so that output signal remains undistorted even with extremely loud sounds--High max SPL - low noise = Wide Dynamic Range--High quality of build--USB port allows direct plug-in to computer USB port (no preamp or mixer needed) and receives power from the computer's USB port (no Phantom power or batteries required).--Modest cost compared to mics of similar quality.

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This mic is simple to set up and use. I was impressed by the quality of recordings I was able to make with it. It's durable as well.

Age:¬†45-54

User Type:¬†Studio

Experience:¬†Pro

3 years, 3 months ago

by

Anonymous

McComb, MS

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A reviewer on amazon states that windows 7 does not recognize the microphone... "I plugged in into my Windows 7 desktop, and received the message 'No Drive Found'. "Is this correct? I have 64-bit Windows 7. Thanks!

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As far as I can determine, the AT2020 does not work on Windows 7 64 bit.

This was a great mic when it worked on my Vista machine, but it is not recognized by Windows 7. It should be associated with the built-in Windows USB Mic driver (which is usbaudio.sys) but attempting to troubleshoot generates the error message "AT2020 USB doesn't have a driver." I have spent hours searching the Internet looking for a solution to this and am not alone ‚Äď there are plenty of other people with the same unanswered question. My advice would be do not buy.

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Thank you for your inquiry. We have many Windows 7 customers, including me, that are using the microphone successfully. The microphone uses the USB Audio Codec that is a standard part of the Windows operating system. No special drive is necessary. You may need to check with your computer vender to make sure the USB Audio Codec is installed on your system.

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Answers

Answer:¬†

I don't know what yowradio meant by a "switcher," unless he meant a USB hub, in which case I'm not sure he understood that this is a MacBook Pro with 2 separate USB ports (System Profiler shows "Bus Number: 0x1d" and "0x1a"). Maybe those numbers indicate the ports are not truly separate busses, but it certainly looks that way, the way the info is presented in System Profiler. Thanks for everyone's input.

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Forget 2 USB mics on the same switcher. The basic problem is that digital and analog are so different. Yes, you can find plenty of ways to convert from USB to analog or visa-versa, but not to run USB mics in pairs to a single PC.

You can hook up multiple analog mics to an inexpensive USB out switcher, but no joy on multiple USB mics to the same source.

If you want to do this, I suggest the less expensive analog version of the AT2020 USB. For what you save on two of those, you can get a small switcher that gives you two analog mics in, to a single USB out to your PC.

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Thank you for your inquiry. You can do this if you are using a Mac by creating and configuring an Aggregate Device. This is a very easy thing to do. Please note this is not possible with a Windows operating system. Plug in both microphones and then follow the directions at the below link.

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Thank you for your inquiry. I have heard nothing about USB going away. Technology does change quite often, although USB has been around for a long time. USB 3 has recently been released and appears to be backward compatible with other USB devices. If you purchase the non USB version of the microphone you will still need an interface to connect the microphone to the computer and most of those are either USB or Firewire.

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